


a warm place in a cold world

by givebackmylifecas



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: But mostly fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29959641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/givebackmylifecas/pseuds/givebackmylifecas
Summary: “You’ve really got to stop ending up in hospitals, Tyler,” Carlos says quietly when Owen and Gwen have left and it’s finally, finally just the two of them.TK smiles though it turns into a wince when he shifts his head on the pillows Gwyn had stacked behind him. “In my defense, it wasn’t my fault we were abducted by psychos.”Post 2.08 TK and Carlos take some time to reconnect
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 9
Kudos: 311





	a warm place in a cold world

**Author's Note:**

> No TWs but spoilers for the mid-season finale

“You’ve really got to stop ending up in hospitals, Tyler,” Carlos says quietly when Owen and Gwen have left and it’s finally, finally just the two of them.

TK smiles though it turns into a wince when he shifts his head on the pillows Gwyn had stacked behind him. “In my defense, it wasn’t my fault we were abducted by psychos.”

“But you were the one who tried to pull the fire alarm, weren’t you?” Carlos teases, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of TK’s hand.

“Who ratted?” TK asks grumpily. “Nancy?”

“Cariño, you told me in the ambulance.”

“Oh.” TK pouts and Carlos can’t help but smile at him. “Well, what did you expect me to do? Just let them hold us hostage?”

Carlos shakes his head. “No, but I do expect you to be safe, to look after yourself in dangerous situations.” TK sighs and Carlos presses a kiss to his knuckles. “Promise to at least try? For me?”

“Fine, for you,” TK allows, flashing a smile at him.

There’s silence for a moment, as much as there ever can be in a hospital that is. He can still hear the nurses bustling about outside TK’s room, the whir of machinery.

TK squeezes his hand. “You look tired, babe. You should go home, get some rest.”

“No.” Carlos shakes his head. “I… I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep, after everything. Today was a lot.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” TK contemplates him for a moment, then starts to wriggle in his bed.

Carlos frowns. “What are you doing?”

“Making room,” TK says stubbornly.

He shifts as far over to the left as he can without aggravating his head too much. When he’s pressed against the bars on the side of his bed, he pats the space next to him.

“TK you’re hurt. I’m not going to take up room in your hospital bed.” A raised eyebrow is all the reply he gets from TK and he sighs. “Fine, but if you’re uncomfortable at all, you have to tell me, okay?”

“Yes mom,” TK says sarcastically. “Now get up here.”

He vehemently pats at the bed again and Carlos relents, leaving the chair to climb into bed next to TK.

“Hey, wow, shoes off,” TK orders, and Carlos can’t help but roll his eyes fondly, kicking off his sneakers. “Good, now come here.”

“Bossy,” Carlos mumbles, even as he willingly curls into TK’s open arms, resting his head on his boyfriend’s chest. He takes a moment to just breathe, to listen to TK’s heart beating in his chest, to feel his warmth around him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

TK holds him, a hand rubbing up and down his back. “Me too, you have no idea how glad I was to see you coming into the restaurant today. But the minute I did, I knew I was safe.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You’re my safe place, Carlos.”

Usually, Carlos isn’t much of a crier but after the day he’s had, he just can’t quite hold back the tears at hearing TK say that – TK who from the start had so many trust issues Carlos wasn’t sure how to handle him except with kid gloves.

TK’s hand stills on his back and then there’s a kiss being pressed to his hair.

“Babe, it’s okay, let it out,” TK says softly as Carlos sniffles pathetically into his shirt.

“Sorry, long day,” he mumbles as TK’s tired fingers move clumsily across his face to wipe at his tears. “Just everything that happened. Worrying about you, being suspended, my dad... All I want is to make him proud, you know?”

TK’s chest rises and falls with his quiet huff of laughter. “Yeah, I do know. But no matter what he thinks, you’re a great cop, Carlos. My dad said so too, without you no one would have found us – or at the very least it would have taken way longer.”

“I guess.”

Carlos presses his face further against the solid warmth of TK’s chest, just letting his boyfriend hold him for a while, taking comfort in his presence.

“He wants to meet you,” Carlos says eventually.

TK jerks a little as if he’d just been about to fall asleep. “Hmm? Who wants to meet me?”

Carlos smiles, twisting so he can look up at TK. “My dad.”

“Your dad? He knows about us?” TK asks with wide eyes. “I told you, you don’t have to tell him or your mom if you’re not ready yet.”

“I didn’t,” Carlos reassures him. “Apparently I uh… wasn’t exactly subtle tonight – or at the farmer’s market. He knew already.”

“Wow,” TK says. “Are you okay with that?”

“Of course. I’m kind of relieved, actually. It takes some of the pressure off and he seemed really positive about it.”

TK smiles, eyes crinkling. “I’m happy to meet him and your mom as long as you are.”

Carlos kisses his chin. “They’re going to love you.”

“I hope so.”

There’s just enough of an anxious edge to TK’s voice to make him worry. Carlos shuffles up the bed to kiss him properly.

“There’s no way they won’t love you, cariño. I promise,” he says when he pulls away, lips still only inches from TK’s. “How could they not when I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” TK responds without a trace of hesitation. He smiles sweetly until the moment is broken by a huge yawn.

“Okay, you need to sleep,” Carlos says. “You sure you want me to stay here?”

“Don’t you dare leave me,” TK orders and Carlos grins.

“Well with a loving request like that how could I bear to leave,” he teases.

TK pouts and Carlos shakes his head, smiling. He shuffles further up the bed and lifts his arm so TK can lie on top of him. TK does, resting his bandaged head on Carlos’ shoulder, arms wrapping around his waist.

“Comfortable?” Carlos asks quietly and TK makes an affirmative sound. “How’s the head?”

TK groans. “It fucking hurts, but could be worse.”

“Poor baby,” Carlos says. “Try and get some sleep, I’m sure the nurses will be in to check on you soon.”

“Only if you try and sleep too,” TK says stubbornly, eyes already sliding shut.

“Alright. Goodnight TK.”

TK mumbles something that he assumes is supposed to be a goodnight and Carlos smiles, glad to have TK safe in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked this, i have no idea what I'm going to do without these boys for the next six weeks.
> 
> kudos/comments are love or you can say hi on tumblr ([@hefellfordean](https://hefellfordean.tumblr.com)) or twitter ([@angstypalermo](https://twitter.com/angstypalermo))


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